Greece Travel: Traveler's Reviews
Matt's Greece Travel Guide 4

Still Even More for Matt's Greece Travel Guide

Matt,

Hi Matt.

First of all, thanks.  Because of your website, I had the best vacation of
my life last year (Athens, Sifnos, Santorini).  I read all your info and
booked through Aegean Thesaurus.

Now I'm stuck.  I'm trying to plan a trip to Italy (Florence area) for my
honeymoon and can't find any information or websites anywhere near as
helpful as your Greece one.  Do you know of any Italy resources?  Do you
have any Italy suggestions?

Thanks again,
Dan Perrigan

Hi Matt
Your site is brilliant!!!! I've been going to Greece for years and only found your site recently. Maybe if I had found it before I wouldn't have done some of the things I did...but then again..it wouldn't have been the same experience!

I love the eccentricity of Greece! The way you portray it on your site matches my experiences too. We are really lucky to have friends in Athens so having inside information and going on holiday with Greek people certainly adds a whole new dimension ....last year we went to Kythira by ourselves and Ikaria with half of the population of Tavros! Both beautiful islands but Ikaria was favourite because of the local knowledge George, our friend  has.
I've just read about Kea and am desperate to go....so when we're next in Athens, we're off there.

can you send me your newsletter?

Some news for you...Yiannis and Jane Halkitis who run the amazing Selene restaurant , Myrties, Kalymnos have sold the restaurant but are re-opening the closed Christina hotel round the corner. I know people fromthe Selene website have been in touch about the dying tourist industry on Kalymnos...the website is staying and the bar in the hotel will be called Selene........we're still working hard with the tourist minister to try to improve things for Kalymnians but it's hard going.....

Keep up the great work.....

Maggie

 Hi Matt. I'm just back from my trip to Greece, and it was the best trip I've ever taken. I can now understand why you, and so many others, return every year. I will be doing the same. I want to thank you for all your help. I don't know if you remember or not, but you answered several emails of mine. I met the sandal maker in Athens, and he said hello. I have posted many of my pictures on a website, if you care to take a look.

http://homepage.mac.com/ncoutroulis/PhotoAlbum3.html

Thanks again, and perhaps next year i'll see you in Greece.

Best regards

Niko Coutroulis
NYC

Hi there

Just wanted to say how I like your travel pages and how well I can relate to them.  Like you I am a lover of Greece having a partner who until recently had lived in Greece for 13 years.  She lived in Piraeus but one of her favourite places was Aegina and she lived in Agia Marina every summer.  Since meeting we have been frequent visitors to Greece and toured round a lot (although there is a whole lot more to see!), but we always try to go and visit everyone we know on Aegina.  It was a real pleasure to read you page on Aegina and in particular Agia Marina because all the usual guides tend to rubbish it but while it is a bit tacky it is very much full of real Greeks living just the way Greeks always have.  Your site is by far the most accurate travel guide to Greece that I have come across.  Having enjoyed that site I was surprised to then see a North Carolina site with lots about Chapel Hill.  This was particularly interesting for me because I lived In Chapel Hill for three years in the early nineties and so it was like a trip down memory lane.  I still have many friends in Chapel Hill and visit when I can.

Keep up the good work!
Best wishes

Mike L

Matt,

I found your website last minute prior to leaving for our honeymoon to Greece.  We spent 2 weeks there, 1 week in Athens and 1 week cruising with Royal Olympic.  Your recommendations for sightseeing, purchases, dining, etc. were truly right on target.  In fact, we mentioned your name at several places and showed them your travel guide (I printed and took with me).  They are pleased you mention them.  We had a wonderful time with the gentlemen from Byzantino Jewelry - in fact we were there almost everyday and made several purchases.  My husband is of Greek descent so we did have an advantage over others in that he speaks the language!

We found a wonderful private taxi driver (he has a brand new mercedes that was comfortable and had air conditioning).  He was very reasonable compared to others and in fact we booked him for several driving experiences throughout our stay as we were hooked up with him through the Marriott concierge.  I would recommend him highly to your readers (english-speaking, he showed up when he promised and even showed up to pick us up 1 week later at the port to take us to the airport)- Athens Taxi Service, Michael Sinanidis 0030 6972 777787.

Thank you for helping us around Athens (my husband had not been there for over 30 years)!   Linda Hoplamazian and Ted Karamanis

Mr Barrett,

I wish to thank you for your volumes of information on travel to Greece. I
made my 3 children and my mom a promise 2 years ago that we would see the
Olympics in Athens, and I have impressed myself that I am able to fullfill
this promise. But unfortunately I was hampered by 3 short commings: I have
never traveled outside the United States, I know not a soul in Greece, and I
had a modest budget.

I earned my airfare on American Airlines Advantage Miles, made about $10,000
US in the stock market, and was one of the first persons to order tickets for
the Olympics in July 2003. I had it all thought out! What could go wrong?
Everything!

I did not get Opening Cerimony tickets, could not get 5 complete round trip
tickets on AA Advantage Miles, and the best I could do for lodging was
$6200.00 for 6 nights. I was horrified that I was inadequitely prepared. It
turned out I was uninformed.

After finally coming across your website, I felt as though I had a friend in
Greece, who helped me with the 'ins and outs'. I have arrangements with
Sophia in Aegina for lodging saving more than half of the best rate I could
get myself, still can't get Opening Cerimony tickets (its OK), and with the
money I saved I was able to purchase the rest of our flight including a 3 day
stay in Rome (ROME!) and stop overs in Madrid and Zurich, and still have
money to enjoy my trip.

This coming weekend I get the profound pleasure of taking my mom and children
to a fine Greek restaraunt in Los Angeles and informing them that we are
spending 6 nights in Greece and 3 nights in Rome. Although I am apprehensive
about the trip, at least I know that I can make it happen.

I embark on a most grand adventure in the Summer of 2004, in part, due to
your website. I thank you now and hope to thank you in person, should we meet
on the way to the Acropolis.....

Sincerly,

Tony Milosevich
Palmdale, CA

Hi, Matt,
I first found your site three years ago, fortunately, at the beginning of my
planning for my first trip to Greece and not after :)  It's great.  Real
information for reasonably intelligent people (I make assumptions), and which
doesn't take itself toooo seriously.  And you're always right, of course.  I've
used the site a number of times since then, too, although Uli at Dolphin Hellas
(thanks for the ref) has tried to make sure I don't need to go anywhere else but
to her.  You are, by the way, the only travel guide I have listed on my Internet
Explorer Favorites.  I'm back again, enjoying your updates, this time thinking
about planning a trip together with an old Kiwi friend from the UN in East Timor
-- his father's lifelong (and yet unmet) ambition has been a trip to Greece.  So
we're thinking about taking him maybe in May-June.  Should still be sane then,
and not too hot.  A little history, a little music & culture, great food and bad
wine, what more could a person ask??
cheers & best regards,
Jackie

…and belated thanks for the wonderful and outstanding website you have created.  I edit a series entitled The Collected Traveler here at Random House, and I am finalizing an edition to feature Athens, the Peloponnese, and the Aegean Islands.  I spent 8 weeks in Greece with my husband in 1990 and hadn’t been back until this past February and March, when I was doing some research for my book.  I discovered your website, I think from Lonely Planet, and I fell in love with it.  I rarely find websites to be any good for travel – the only other one that equals yours is one on Morocco that I discovered when I was working on that book.  Anyway, I really just wanted to say ‘efharisto’ for all you do.  I am recommending you and your site in my book, I hope enthusiastically enough that people will turn to you first before they read anything else (besides my book, of course).  My two travel companions also loved your site, and I recommended it to a colleague who visited Greece in August, and she raved about it.  Through you, we discovered George, one of the nicest human beings on the planet (also his son Dennis and his partner Christos).  We also met Laura, who we loved, and spent an unforgettable afternoon at Brettos, where we met some great American and British expats who apparently spend every Sunday afternoon there after church.  When speaking of Greece, I am constantly saying, “Well Matt says that…” Would love to meet you and your wife one day.  Perhaps you occasionally come to New York?  Or perhaps we could meet in Greece one day?  Who knows – but you are doing a great service, and I just wanted you to know I think your site is amazing.  I will of course send you a few copies of the book when it’s published in the spring.  And would enjoy communicating by e-mail in the meantime – actually, I may have a few questions for you as I go through this manuscript.  That’s all for now.  Kind regards, and thanks again, Barrie Kerper [bkerper@randomhouse.com]

Geia sas,

I just wanted to tell you how much I love your website, and let you know about
mine.  I fell in love with Greece when I first went, four years ago, and have
been going back ever since (so I'm still a pretty new philhellene!).  My
website is a travel guide, I guess, although I do it more to be able to share
pictures and stories with all the people that I have met while in Greece, who
are now scattered all over the world!  A lot of it is geared toward Mykonos and
Syros, since that's where I've spent the most time.  I read your original
little critique of Mykonos before I went the first time, and then just recently
read the 2003 version.  I actually was one of those little Paradise brats (I
don't know what else to call them)...one of the foreigners who works for
25E/day, but a free meal, free bed, and all that.  Markos and Freddy took care
of me after I had some pretty awful jobs, plus they liked me because I didn't
actually stay at Paradise, so they had an extra bed to rent. 

My website isn't as purist-greece as yours is (okay, so i've spent a LOT of time
at the Skandinavian Bar over the years...but that's just cause we're friends
with the owner..haha), although I'm hoping to add some more non-partying-geared
info soon.  I've been putting off working on the Syros page because I know I'm
going to get so into trying to describe how that island and it's people make me
feel that I'm going to totally blow off all studying for a few days.

But I digress. I just wanted to say keep up the good work, kai
euxaritstw para poly yia to oraio website sou!

Amy McVeigh
The Goddesses' Guide
http://www.angelfire.com/trek/ellada

Hi Matt
My name is Nick, i'm from ireland and i booked a
flight to athens recently, just to get away from a
hectic lifestyle for a few days, i had never been to
greece before and i knew nothing about it. I was
starting to get a little nervous a couple of days
before the trip as i had no accommodation booked and
had no greek, then i came across your website and it
really helped me out bigtime.
I took your advice and stayed in poros for a couple of
days before moving to hydra and then back to athens. I
had a brillant time... and the scenery was just
fantastic, the food was amazing and so cheap. The
greek people were so friendly and so helpful and i
really felt very safe there. I'll definitely be back
next year but this time for longer than a mere 5 days,
and i'll say hi to pan next time, i saw him on the
harbour in hydra but i didnt get a chance to talk to
him...What were the highlights???? i dont know where
to start there were so many of them... Its always such
a buzz travelling in a country by yourself for the
first time, but i was lucky enough to experience a
typical greek wedding in the hotel i was staying in in
poros, gee they are a noisy lot and all the plates
they were breaking, i thought there was a fight on at
first..... The whole holiday was a highlight, the
friendlieness of the people also made it and the walks
either side of hydra are spectacular...
Anyway i wont bore you with any more of the details,
just thanks for making my short holiday what it was
and keep up the good work....
regards
Nick

Dear Matt,
I just wanted to let you know that i have recently returned from a ten day trip to greece. It was absolutely fabulous. I can''t wait to go again!!! I am hooked on the islands. Mykonos was great but Santorini was wonderful. I must tell you though, the reason it (Santorini) was so wonderful, was because of the hotel. Nomikos Villas was great. The reason it was so great was because of the 21 year old kid that worked the evening shift. His name is Kiril Monov and i highly recommend the hotel because of him. We had run into some trouble with a travel agency, and not speaking the language, we told him all about it and he took care of everything. He was our savior. He answered any questions we had and helped us in any way he could. He catered to our every need. I know, I know, its his job. Well every other hotel we stayed at did there job too. But Kiril went above and beyond the call of duty for us. He was UNBELIEVABLE. My Grandmother, my Mother and I all fell in love with him. I really think you should stay there if you get the chance. The hotel was cute, the view was wonderful and Kiril was the best.
Anyway, your website is a godsend. We printed off pages of stuff, stapled it together and basically made a book out of it. It was our travel guide. You are fabulous and I think it is great what you have done for travelers like myself.
We stayed at the Hotel Attolos in Athens and it was great also. They were very helpful with any thing that we needed and i will stay there again!
I am planning on returning to Greece in about 2 years with a friend of mine. I will check in with your website often just to see whats new! Thank you so much for all that you have done.
Sincerely,
Allyson Ferguson!

Dear Matt,

Your website is incredible!  I am a Greek-American who is definitely
interested in my heritage and found your website by searching for Greek CDs.
What I found, however, is a site rife with many treasures.  I hope you
continue with this - I have sent the link to many friends also
Hellenophiles.

Truly,
George DeBusk

Matt,

Just a note to thank you for the time & effort you put into your wonderful
website.  It is a great resource and it has inspired me to extend my
upcoming trip to Athens for an additional 5 days.  Your site is informative,
fun and thorough.  Thanks again!

Michele Wilson
Assistant, International Development
Scripps Networks - HGTV, DIY, Food Network, Fine Living

Hello Matt Barrett,

After searching the internet and finding out that Panathinaikos actually won (3-1) in their latest soccer game against Scotland's Rangers for the UEFA Champions' League on Dec. 9th, I decided to search for sites referring to the the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (other than the official site) and I was pleasantly surprised to come across your extensive website on GREECE www.greecetravel.com with all of its links...  I thoroughly enjoyed your writing style, the experience and insight you have on Greece, that I could not stop reading (and it is 3:30am here)  I was truly impressed.  What a great job!   Fortunately, I am in a position where I can spread the word for even more people to visit your site when planning their trips to Greece. 

BEST WISHES TO YOU AND YOURS FOR HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Kind regards,
Constance Jouras

NOTE:  I was born and raised in Chicago by Greek-American parents, who now live in Athens.  Currently, I live in Australia and work at the Embassy of Greece in Canberra.  After my tour of duty here, I will return to Athens.

Moin Matt ("Moin" means "Hi" in Northern Germany)

Thank you for your wonderful page in the internet, which is very funny
and full of very useful knowledge.
It is the best site about Greece I found in the net.
I was very amused to read your experience traveling with your
mother-in-law (and your way to escape). Her species occurs all around
the world.
I can understand your wife´s suffering very well.
At this moment I`m looking out of a window in Quern, Northern Germany,
and the weather is very grey and bad. While the raindrops run down the
window, the sun and the heat of Greece seem like paradise to me.
The reason why I found your site was that I was looking for an old
friend in Athens who works as a dentist and is a very good jazz piano
player. His name is
Jannis Kitsopoulos. Do you know a method to find out where he is?

Dr. Konstanze Brunkhorst
Dingholz 11
24972 Quern, Germany

I can't believe just how efficient and absolutely wonderful all your
information is!

I can't remember ever being so impressed by someone and what they've done,
thank you seems such an understatement.

I'm in awe of your knowledge and application, Lesbos is my favourite ever of
the Greek Islands, I've been lucky enough to have lived in Athens and
Thessaloniki and have visisted a few other of the islands too but I simply
can't get enough of Greece, the Greeks and their culture.  It's wonderful.

with the utmost respect and good wishes, I'm going to try and read it all!!
Sue Howard

Thank God for Google.com and finding your guide. It's FABULOUS!!!! You are to be commended for a great job. I was in Greece about 30 years ago and haven't been back since. Plan to spend 11-12 days there during next Christmas holiday season. Want to spend a few days in Athens, then possibly Santorini, Rhodes, and Mykonos, then back to Athens for return flight to U.S. Any personal suggestions not in your guides about the best way to put this all together. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Matt, I just wanted to say I've enjoyed the discovery of your website.  It
has a wealth of information, and brings back memories of the logistical
difficulties, and pleasures of travel in Greece.  We spent a total of about
5 weeks there in 1988... had our own rental car.  I see from some of your
descriptions that nothing has changed!

I stumbled on your website while looking for a way to visit Ephesus in
Turkey.  I've found, from a link found on your website, that the only way to
get there from Greece is a ferry from Athens to Samos, then from Samos to
Ephesus.

We won't be travelling until September 2004, but I usually do all the
research well in advance.

Thanks again for the great site!

-- Joan McPhee, MH, WT

Dear Matt Barrett,

I discovered your Greek travel site this very day.  You sound so
helpful and interesting.  What you're doing for us Greek travellers or
Greek want-to-be travellers is marvellous.  Thank you for all your
personal efforts.  Obviously you have a deep love of Greece.  Thanks
for helping other people to discover Greece.

Mary Lynn Doyle
P.S.  I have vacationed on a couple Greek islands, Paros and Naxos, for
several years on a very tight budget.  I look forward to seeing other
places, too.  Some of the happiest days of my life have been in these
beautiful places.

Thank you for your marvelous Greece information site! I've visited Greece
many times (Athens, Crete, Kefallonia, Naxos, Santorini etc.) and I wanted
to check some facts from the internet. Once I found your web site, I never
left. Thank you again and I hope you continue the great work you do.

All the best from snowy Helsinki, Finland
Meri

This is a quick email to tell you "Thank You" for your website.

Since our trip was last minute, we didn't have as many choices on hotel availability.  Our stay at the Herodion Hotel (which was not our first hotel) was wonderful.  It wasn't even on our list of 7 or 8 but we found the location & hotel to be great.  It is a small hotel (very quiet area) that has a refurbished lobby & lower level & rooms.  Our first night we were in a room with no view & requested a view of the Acropolis for the rest of the 5 nights.  They accomodated us, & we went to sleep seeing it from our beds.  Their American Buffet Bkfst. was the same daily but it had plenty of items for us to select & get on our way.  Your restaurants of Byzantino (Plaka), Daphne, and a few others were fabulous! 

George (the taxi Driver) and his son were wonderful also.  After a long day of travelling, it was wonderful to see him carrying a sign with our names & not have to worry about anything. 

Delphi is a magical place!  We took your recommendation on the restaurant & found it to be fabulous!  Two Greek Brothers (with their Dad as chef) ran it & the views were fabulous.  It was virtually desolate this time of year, & we loved the absence of all the tourists.  (We gave them your website because they seemed not to have heard about it.)

Everywhere we went including the sandle maker, we told them how we came upon them:  your website. 

We found most Greeks to be wonderful & happy to have Americans visiting.  My son who is there for CYA (College Year Abroad) loves Greece also, especially the islands!  Wish we would have had time for those!  Next time, may be!

Thanks Again,  Nancy & Larry Henry 

Matt,

Thank you for once again reducing me to a pile on the floor like a stack of old rags. You have taken me away from last minute details, and errands to an hour of reading and laughing till my sides hurt.

Forget taking a book or magazine on the plane. I have printed out your stories and after dinner, when everyone is settling down for a night of sleep on the plane, I will be laughing uncontrollably. They will for sure think I need a straight jacket. Little will they know I am reading the stories you write. You do have a way of telling a story like none I have ever read before.

I sure wish you had all your information, fun stories, advice, and knowledge of the country you write about (Greece) in a book. On the way home from the DR a week ago we stopped at a huge book store, to see if we could find a good book on Greece. I must tell you, of all the ones we found, none offered anything remotely as good as what you offer. Most were quite confusing because Greek is such a difficult language. 

We actually looked through some that were very pricey by known authors that I gladly put back on the shelf. Others I wonder if the author has ever been to Greece. Your information is so excellent, and your writing so funny, it would be a run away best seller. In my case a perfect title would be "A Guide Book Of Greece For Total Idiots." At least people like me would know they had the right book!

I do wish you had a message board that lets people write about their experiences and even post pictures, but I am sure that is a big job to keep it monitored. You offer so much, and make it fun and interesting, you definitely should be paid for it. Your own interesting experiences is what brings it to life. Its what makes me want to read them over and over. It is after midnight and I am still reading them over and over.

Thanks so much Matt, I hope I have many things to tell you when I return, and some great pictures to show you. I bought some great cameras to capture everything possible. I will send some to you and you are free to use anything I send.

Thanks again

Linda Pendleton

 Hi Matt
Just wanted to let you know that your web sites have been an incredible
help.  My husband and I visited greece last summer and loved it.  We are
planning a trip with our 2 kids in the summer of 2005 to Lesvos and who
knows where else for about 4 or 5 weeks.  Your daughters site is also
great for my 2 boys (5&8), she sounds like a great kid.  Thanks for all
your useful up to date info.

Lisa

Hi there, Matt, Friendly greetings from Cape Town,
South Africa.  A couple of years ago I went to Athens,
before discovering your website; although I did stacks
of research and made all my own arrangements, it's a
pity that I did not see your site, it's stupendous.  I
pass on the details to everyone I know, even my
friends in Greece!  I wish the other European
countries had similar sites.  I can't afford to travel
now, so all my 'trips' are done via the Net and books.
I stayed in a wonderful famliy-owned hotel in
Monastiraki called Hotel Tempi, very cheap and more
than sufficient to anyone's needs and shopped in
downtown Omonia, dressed like the local ladies and
paying in Drachma (it was before the Euro).  Hopefully
I'll be able to move there when I retire in a few
years - needless to say, I left my heart behind!  Just
one thing - the list of local prices : could you
please update that from time to time?  I do get
catalogues from a friend in Athens, but those are
prices for AB Vassiliopoulos, which is a bit more
upmarket.  Anyway, time to go, once again, in the
local lingo, baie dankie, and efxaristo, Regards,
Robyn Kirkwood 

Dear Matt:

(I'm going to assume your name is Matt based on little hints I found on your site ... and ... I'm a somewhat clever Greek-American) :p

anywayssssssssssssssssssss ... back to the topic at hand ...

Dear Matt:

Just saw your site .. and all I can say is

WOW !!!!

My name is Anna and I co-manage Greece-Cafe @ MSN Communities.  We're the largest Greek community there, with a current member base of 1723 ... nearly double our closest competitor.

I was wondering if I could link with you and maybe steal a few lines here and there to make up a page for our readers to get to know you.

You can check us out at:  http://groups.msn.com/GreeceCafe ... you'll find a few sites we've highlighted in there, including Comedy - Basile!! ... Art - Papas Gallery ... Design/Consulting ... etc.

Hope to hear from you soon :)

always,

Anna / annaa`

Manager / Greece-Cafe

Dear Mr. Barrett,

I recently learned to use the computer at 50 and got hooked especially on
www.greekislands.com because we are Greek and will be going in the summer. 
It'll cost us a pretty penny - we have relatives in Athens, Argos, Tripoli,
Astros and neighboring villages.  I stumbled upon your website by fluke
looking up again Club Hotel Casino Loutraki and to my delight  I found your
site.  I have just read parts of it and am happy you like the Hotel Attalos
in Athens because that's what I picked for location and price.  I don't
think I've read where you are from -- are you an American - where do you
live?  Anyway I really wanted to express our families thanks for this
wonderful site - your the first person I've ever e-mailed except for Greek
hotels.  Thank you again - the internet can be an amazing resource.  Regards
from Calgary, Canada    Anna

Hi Matt!

Dear Matt,

Thanks for getting back to me!  I took your advice and requested help
from Fantasy Travel.

I just wanted to let you know how much I've enjoyed reading your pages
about traveling in Greece.  Thanks for a great public service!  After
browsing through your sections on history, the islands, and food, I now
look forward to the time when I can take full advantage of all the tips
and information you provide when I'm not just on business and can bring
the family too.

Thanks again!

Best regards,
Kea

Matt:

I just wanted to thank you for all of the help you gave me in planning
my recent trip to Greece.  Your web site was excellent and informative,
but most of all, accurate.  It made organizing the trip so much easier.
I printed most of the information that I needed and took it with us.
The only correction I might make, if I may be so bold, is that Vathy now
has electricity.

Once again, thank you and I can't wait to go back.

Nancy Brown

I spent a few weeks on Mykonos in the summer of 1970.

I skimmed through your (at least I believe it was your) Return to Mykonos
article.  Skimmed because it stirred a fondness for the experience that
would just leave me with a desire I could not meet (including being 22
again).  And a sadness that the place will never be again what it was then.

The friends I made (the "beautiful girls and beautiful boys" I think you
called them... were we really once they?).  All in this perfect setting.
The joy of convivial gatherings - for (late) breakfast on the harbor;
arranging to meet later at a cafe; our rather sloppy Greek dancing at one of
(the two?) night clubs.  I gained my perspective of cruise ships there - we
(English, French, American, Greek) would sit on the hill, with a bottle of
wine, and wait for the hordes to return to their floating prisons.

The souvlaki man deserves to be a millionaire.  I have toured the rest of
the world to find any as good (4 drachma I think it was?).

How many people, in our rushed traffic jam world, understand the high drama
when the two Volvo buses had to pass each other?

A day at - we called it - Yellow Beach (Ghiado?.. that's the best
transcription I can make of the bus ticket that I still have).  A perfect
place with just one, spectacular yacht moored in the middle of the bay for
us to swim to.

Enough!

My wife, after listening to all my tales, wants as much as I to go back to
Greece; to an island.  But, I wonder that I should not go back to Mykonos.
I think I would be disappointed.  I think I will leave Mykonos intact, in my
mind, as it was 24 years ago and I will have to find a new adventure.

Keith Crossley
(now of) Webster, NY USA

I must say that I thought I was the only one that was crazy about Greece. I
think it's wonderful that you took the time to put that AMAZING web site
together.  I also have to Thank you, some friends and I are going to Greece
in June and we constantly kept referring to your web site before making any
decisions.

Thank you and Yasas!

May you keep enjoying your travels to Greece!!!

Nada N. Khattar

Matt

Hi. My wife and I have just returned to Australia after a four week trip to Greece and I wanted to thank you for your Greek Guide which was a great help in planning our trip.

After a couple of days in Athens staying at the Plaka Hotel (the Attalos was booked out) we had a week on Sifnos (staying at the Eleonas Aparments), 5 days in Milos (we stayed in the Villa Helios Apartments in Adamas), 10 days on Crete where we hired a car (we stayed in Sitia, Kato Zakros, Aghia Pelagia, Plakias and Hania) and then a couple more days in Athens (at the Hotel Tempi).  We booked the Athens and Sifnos accommodation before we left and then made up the rest as we went along.

Overall we had a great time – we particularly enjoyed Athens and Sifnos.  Your guides to the Plaka, Athens restaurants and the Acropolis were invaluable.  The Archeological Museum is a real gem and we loved just wandering around the city and coming across unexpected ancient sites. Sifnos was a great place to start the island part of the trip.  A really good introduction to authentic Greek life and the island where we felt closest to what we were looking for.  We also enjoyed Milos, particularly around the coast (the inland areas were a bit disappointing after Sifnos).   

We found Crete a bit of a mixed bag – some fantastic spots off the tourist trail, but a lot of the north coast very disappointing. In some places it felt more like a south coast English holiday resort than Greece.  We also found the driving extremely stressful – I don’t know if Cretan driving is typical of Greece overall but it is the most endangered I have ever felt whilst driving anywhere in the world.  On the positive side the meals in Crete were the best we had on the trip and Hania, Kato Zakros and Plakias were beautiful spots – the Valley of the Dead and the walk up the hill from Plakias to Mirthios were fantastic.  Also experienced some great live Cretan music in Hania.

One area of particular disappointment was the amount of rubbish on some beaches and on the side of the road (in Crete in particular).  It is very depressing to see beautiful spots spoilt by human indifference and ignorance.  There seems to be some indications (the Blue flag initiative and signage in some areas) that attempts are being taken to address this problem and hopefully these will have a positive effect.  I would be interested in your views on this.  In Australia we have had major public campaigns over the last 20 years or so to reduce littering and it has been very successful.  

Once again thanks for your guide.  Happy to provide any more detailed information if it would be of assistance to you.

Regards
Steven and Jeanette Oxley

Hi Matt,

I just love your website.  I've been to Greece twice and feel like I'm back again everytime I log on to your website.  I was just reading about Taxies and you saying they got a bad name.  That is so true!  It reminded me of an experience I had in Athens:  I was spending the day with a tourguide friend of mine at her home in Kifissia.  She was going to drive me back to the Hotel Astor in the evening, but it was raining so hard her husband said it wasn't safe so he wouldn't let her drive me.  He agreed that she could drive me to a taxi stand.  None of the taxi drivers would drive in the rain because it was coming down so hard, so Irini said we should flag one down that was already on the road, which we did.  We got one to stop and I got in with one other lady in the car.  As we drove down the road, I noticed that his windshield wipers were broken and he had to keep looking out the open window to see where he was going.  I thought for sure he was going to stop and say he just couldn't do it and I was going to have to get out.  But with his wet head, he got me to the hotel.  I was so appreciative, I gave him 1 1/2 times the fare and a big "Bravo!"  He tried to give me the extra money back and I wouldn't let him.  He said thanks with a big smile.  After I pealed off my wet clothes and muddy foot (stepped into a mud puddle in Irini's yard and she hosed it off laughing) and sat in a warm bubble bath, I decided that I wouldn't have traded that wonderful day for any sunny day there might have been.  It was the most fun I'd had in a long time.

By the way, you once sent me a picture of Stavros Melissinos (poet-sandlemaker) with your daughter.  Stavos is an acquaintance of mine.  I know his helper, John, died, but does Stavos still have his shop open and is he still working there?  He's so old!  What a dear man he is.  Hopefully I'll be back in October of this year.

Thanks, Matt.  Keep up the good work.  Us Greek-o-philes love your stuff.  And I'm one of the few people who love Athens and its energy and hate to hear people say bad things about it.    Hope to see you there sometime.

Susan McNamee

Dear Matt,
    Why is it that every time the sun comes out I find myself perusing
greecetravel.com rereading old articles and dreaming of my next trip to
Greece? Hey that's only four weeks away - Peloponessos here I come!
    Thanks matey I feel better already.
    Ian

Hi Matt,

My wife and I wanted to thank you for your advice about Greece.  We
spent the last week of May there and had a great time.  I was in Athens
for a conference for the first few days but was able to travel to
Sounion with a former grad student of mine (who is now a professor in
Athens) and he treated us to lunch in Vouliagmeni (we had fried
whitebait which I never would have tried otherwise).  We had a great
dinner (sampling of a lot of different dishes) at Psaras in Plaka which
was suggested by some of our Greek friends (confirmed your suggestion).

We arranged our travel to Santorini through Fantasy Travel and picked up
our vouchers at their office near Syntagma Square.  Mary set us up at
the Volcano View Villas Hotel, another of your great suggestions.  It
was every bit as great as you said - superb location, friendly staff.

On the return to the Athens airport for an overnight stay before
returning home we stayed in Rafina at Mary's suggestion.  The Avra Hotel
was really nice and I can understand why you highly recommend visiting
the town.

I am still puzzled about the price of fish dishes.  You warned us about
them on your website but we got sucked in by one anyway in Santorini -
the receipt said Katrina Restaurant although the sign said the Gallery.
When the price of fish is listed as 48 Euros per kilo, how do the legit
restaurants determine what you pay?  We paid the full 48 Euros and I
know the fish didn't weigh a kilo.  We knew we were in trouble when we
got glasses of lousy vinegary wine (he wanted us to buy a bottle for 30
Euros) and he told us that was the way Santorini wine tasted!  That was
followed by two customers shouting at the waiter and complaining about
the high price and being ripped off!  Unfortunately, it was too late to
escape.  Oh well, live and learn!  That bad experience was offset by a
free lunch of lamb and potatoes with free wine at a church down the hill
from Firostefani - they were celebrating the patron saint of their
church.

We ran into another couple from Virginia that had used many of your
suggestions as well.  Anyway, thanks again for all the good info.
Warmest regards.

Jerry Mills

Hi Matt,
Thank  you for the wonderful website.  My husband and I are going to fulfill
a long time dream and visit Greece in late September (after the Olympics).
I have been struggling with what hotels to book and worried abut getting to
the hotel etc.  Your website has made things so much easier.  I have sent an
email to the Attalos hotel at atthot@hol.gr asking for availability.  Once
our flight arrangements are made I am going to contact George for a transfer
and tour.  I have looked at a site for tours but I think I will ask George
for a general tour of Athens.  We are meeting our daughter in Piraeus to
join her on a cruise ship that she works on and will tour other Greek
Islands with her.

I appreciate all of the advise and tips and have printed out many of the
sections of your survival guide.  I have never been to Europe so this is all
like a dream to me.

Thanks again.

Trudy Raymond

Hi Matt,
Just want to let you know I love your sites on Greek travel.  I lived in
Athens for 7 years and after looking at your info and photos, I want to go
back today.

Great job, that's all I can say.  Most comprehensive info on Greece I've
ever seen.
Cheryl Woods

hi!
just want to say thanks.
today i've returned from a magnificant trip to Greece. we've been in all the
country - athens, delphi, Evretinia, Zahoria, Pelion, Metora and even in the
island Paros.
Greece is a wonderful country and so as the greek people.
idan

...for putting together such an amazing site. I'm very happy that I stumbled
onto your Travel Guide to Greece.

That's all I want to say. You've helped us plan our 10 days in Greece better
than all the other sites we've found combined.

Ryan

Matt (sorry for the informality, I feel like I know you),

Just wanted you to know that I am still reading, reading, reading your web site in preparation for my (first) trip to Greece July 30-August 12.  I am meeting my daughter Katherine there who has been there since June 2 (she will return to the U.S. Sept. 6).  She was in Athens a month last year, and said your web site (which I actually found for her!) was the single most helpful “guide” on Athens she has ever read.

I used Fantasy Travel (Litsa) to book our trip, and thus far everything you said about them is true.  I feel very comfortable about the fact that they have arranged our trip.  I am really into the “countdown” now!

I just wanted to tell you a couple of things: 1) I love reading your web site, both for the information and the humor; I really do read to the bottom of the pages, and hope to get through lots more before July 30 (I’ve been reading it off and on for months); and 2) I am fairly confident that this will not be my only trip to Greece.  I am already mentally planning the second trip.  Because I will be traveling this time with my 22 year old daughter, we will be in Athens, Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini—all the most popular destinations.  I can’t wait to go back to Greece another time, OFF SEASON (!) and not before an Olympics (!) to visit places like Sifnos, Poros, and so many other islands that are less often visited.  And, I think it would be wonderful to tour mainland Greece. 

I don’t know how all this will happen—the subsequent trips/vacations, I mean.  At times I have fantasies of selling my home, quitting my job, and moving there (did I take “Mamma Mia” a little too seriously?!).  Perhaps I should just wait for this trip and see how it goes!  (I’m not sure how I will fare in such HOT weather—I’m from Michigan where we get excited when it’s 75-80 degrees!).  I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve already fallen in love with Greece, and I haven’t even got there yet.

Sorry to bend your ear, I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your web site, and your style of writing.

Happy summer,

Jan Yonker

Dear Matt Barrett
I have just spent the last hour being vastly
entertained by your study in Kea - I was innocently
looking for info on Kea and ended up reading about
Deep Purple instead!
I'm gonna check out your site about going it on one's
own as a musician too, sounds interesting.
It's great the way the net leads you to the most
unexpected places although scary when you realise
hours have gone by not interacting with other humans
or doing any of the stuff you intended to!
Do you rent ur place out to people in Kea?

Greetings from London
Sue Denim
A robot in disguise

Hi Matt,

      My  name  is Bogdan and I am from Romania. I go often in Athens do to
my  job  and  I  like it very much. This year I will go there along with my
family,  my  wife  Madalina and my five years old boy Calin. We will attend
the  Olympics and in order to have some diversity  we were looking for some
information  on the net. We opened your site and we have read it all. It is
fabulous  indeed.  We  like  it so much so I can't stop myself sending this
mail aim to congratulates you. Thank you.

      Kindest regards,
      Bogdan, Madalina and Calin

Thanks for the contacts for Akrotiri information, Matt; I appreciate it.  I read your Mykonos info last night (I like to print all this information and enjoy it at my leisure) and laughed out loud reading about you and your daughter and the fat naked Germans tucked into crevasses reading the biz section of Der Spiegel.  

Why do those Germans always become the object of hysterical laughter?  They seem to be OK in their own country but are great humor fodder anywhere else.  Maybe because I grew up in Minnesota and all the Germans I knew hadn't smiled in 15 years.  I was delighted to visit Germany for the first time about 5 years ago and find out they weren't all grim-faced.  Picturing them naked on Mykonos just is too funny.

Judy Serie Nagy

Hi,
I was researching the net for some info on Greece as I'm planning a holiday there early next year.  I stumbled across your website and...WOW!!!...so much useful information - a week later, I'm still sifting through it all!

Thanks for a wealth of great tips and advise...
Kind regards,
Kathy Andalis

Thank you for your excellent website.
Looking at the photos brought back many happy memories.
Like many people I have discovered Rhodes and have fallen in love with the
island and it's people.
One day I will live on Rhodes, probably in Lardos. Until then I will visit
every year and in between use your website to transport me to this magical
island.
Thanks once more.
Ed Harvey

Hi Matt--

I wanted to let you know how invaluable your site has become as I plan our
shore excursions to various Greek islands. I don't want to get on a big bus
with the rest of the herd from the cruise ship, so seeing your photos and
reading your narrative really has helped me narrow down our list of choices.
I've spent hours on the web looking for just this exact type of information.

Before I forget, you are a fantastic photographer!

Thanks again!
Teri

Hi Matt,

I just wanted to let you know that based on your advice, we booked a recent trip to Greece through Fantasy travel (Dina).  The trip was wonderful with one small disappointment--the Naxos leg of the journey.  Three outstanding hotels we stayed in were the Belvedere (Mykonos), Astra Apartments ( Santorini), and the airport hotel was a pleasant surprise, the Hotel Sofitel.  The highlight of our trip in terms of  restaurants was one called "Namos" in Mykonos.

Some warned us not to travel as late as we did (Oct.15-30).  However, we had outstanding weather and things are a bit quieter.  Some hotels and restaurants close down or are ready to close by Oct. 30 but I would recommend to anyone this as a great time to travel to Greece.

Thanks for your wonderful website!

Jorene Jameson

Matt,

I know that you must get a few of these, but all I really want to say is Thank You..

Your site ia a magnificent achievement

I know that the time and effort you must expend on this site is enormous and yet you have not commercialised what you have done, are you mad or just contented?

Anyway, I would like to know more about Rembetika, but I will admit to being nieve here,I do think you can help me?

That said, I love Athens – it’s a sprawling mess and yet it has the stain of antiquity running right through its soul.

God I wish I could write!

John.

 Hi Matt, 

Thanks for your amazing sight.  My fiancee' and I have been using it to plan for our honeymoon in June.  We're going to Santorini(no surprise).  I was there twenty years ago, ten years ago and look forward to it once again.  Your site has been so helpful.  Thanks again and again.

John

Hello,

Just wanted to relate how much we like your Greek
movie website and how grateful we are to you for it.
Cheers...

Nikoz

Hey Matt, My girlfriend and I are going to Greece and the Greek Isles (Santorini, Mykonos and Ios) from July 31 to August 16th and have found your website very, very helpful.  I have actually printed out many of the pages and put them in a 3 ring binder as a reference for when we are actually mapping out our itinerary at our hotels.  I just wanted to let you know that you are doing the two of us a great service by putting all of this on the internet for inexperienced Greek travelers like ourselves. I just wanted to say thank you.  I did have one question though; how updated is a lot of this information such as the dining, hotspots, etc etc etc.????  Thanks!

Regards,
Scott

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